Paul Walker, Roger Rodas fatal crash described by witnesses

Brenda Gazzar and Kelly Goff, Los Angeles Daily News

Published 12:37 pm, Monday, December 2, 2013

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People gather at the roadside memorial for actor Paul Walker in Valencia, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013. Walker is believed to have been a passenger in the car that crashed and burned on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 as a charity event at a nearby car shop was winding down. less

People gather at the roadside memorial for actor Paul Walker in Valencia, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013. Walker is believed to have been a passenger in the car that crashed and burned on Saturday, Nov. 30, ... more

Photo: AP

Paul Walker, Roger Rodas fatal crash described by witnesses

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Witnesses that came upon the scene of Saturday's fiery solo car crash that killed internationally renowned actor Paul Walker of "Fast & Furious" fame and former race car driver Roger Rodas said they watched helplessly as the pair inside the vehicle were quickly engulfed in flames.

Rodas, 38, and Walker, 40, were in a 2005 red Porsche Carrera GT on Saturday afternoon when Rodas lost control of the supercar on a street in an industrial park in Valencia. The car slammed into a light pole, hit a tree and exploded in flames upon or shortly after impact, just before 3:30 p.m.

Firefighters with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the scene at the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop but were unable to save either of the two men. Both were declared dead at the scene of the collision, according to county fire dispatch supervisor Kyle Sanford. Authorities late Saturday said speed was a factor.

"The fire was too big - we couldn't do anything. It was 15 or 20 feet high," said Brandon Torp, 28, of Santa Clarita, who said he was one of the first people on the scene.

Torp said he and at least three others grabbed fire extinguishers from the custom car shop, Always Evolving, where a charity event for Walker's organization Reach Out Worldwide was winding down at an industrial center.

"We were trying to put it out, but we got pushed away by the fire department and the sheriff's," Torp, who said he knew both men, added. "It all happened so quick. It just got swarmed with people so fast and everything was kind of crazy."

One of Walker's close friends, which Torp only knew by the name "Newt" ran to the front of the car and tried to pull Walker out but "sheriff's pushed him away" because of the danger, Torp said.

Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Dana Bee said though investigators obviously had information about the possible identity of the badly burned bodies, they officially remained listed as John Does at the coroner's office pending positive identification.

"They are not identifiable by conventional means, and that includes fingerprints," Bee said. "So, we've established contact with representatives from both families."

Coroner's investigators were working to compare dental records of Walker and Rodas to the teeth of the men killed in Saturday's crash and said the investigation was ongoing.

Torp's father Jim Torp, also of Santa Clarita, also attended the event and said he heard a "big bang," saw smoke and asked the employees of Always Evolving to check it out. While some initially thought it was smoke from a special effects business, they soon realized that it was a car accident and that Walker and Rodas were trapped inside, he said.

"They grabbed their fire extinguishers, they came up here and there was nothing they could do for them," Jim Torp said.

While racing between cars is known to sometimes happen in that area, the Torps said they do not believe Rodas and Walker were racing at the time of the crash.

Walker of the "Fast & Furious" movie series and Rodas, who were partners of Always Evolving, were laughing and enjoying themselves at the car show and toy drive held at the custom car shop minutes before the fiery crash claimed their lives.

Jim Torp said he was joking around with Rodas and teasing him about driving around his American muscle car - a sleek orange Impala convertible - instead of his Ferrari, and Rodas said, 'hey, I like this car, it's my Halloween pumpkin," Torp said. The last words Jim Torp heard from Walker was that he would be back in five minutes to sign autographs and take photos with fans, he said, but he never made it back.

Statements from witnesses and those close the pair have confirmed their deaths.

"Thank you all for your condolences and prayers while we mourn the loss of our loved ones," said a posting Sunday on the Always Evolving Facebook page.

On Sunday, more than a hundred fans of Walker and Rodas gathered at a large memorial at the crash site that was laden with flowers, votive candles and condolences for the families as curious drivers slowly drove by the site.

Patty and Sean Kelly, also of Santa Clarita, were at the memorial to pay their respects since they and their five children, most of whom are grown and live out of the area, are big fans of Walker's.

"We're sad, he was a great actor and a great humanitarian," Patty Kelly said. "It's hard to believe."

Sean added; "Our kids followed his movies pretty closely and we felt we had to come here because our kids are all spread around We figured we'd pay our respects on behalf of our kids."

Brothers Daniel and Louie Macatangay of Koreatown, who became huge fans of the "Fast & Furious" movies while living in their native Philippines, were also at the crash site to offer their respects to Walker.

"I got into racing (in the Philippines) by watching his first movie, 'Fast & Furious'" said Louie Macatangay, 24. "He opened my mind to everything."

The brothers also said they appreciated Walker's efforts to help raise funds for the disaster-prone Philippines in the wake of the nation's recent earthquake and typhoon.

On a memorial board, fans wrote messages, such as "RIP Paul and Roger, we will be thinking of you, forever in our hearts" and "Race in Paradise."

Fellow actors and friends have continued to take to social media to express shock and dismay at the news of the accident.

"Brother, I will miss you very much. Heaven has gained a new angel. Rest in peace," Vin Diesel said of Walker on Twitter. The two starred in several of the "Fast & Furious" movies together, and were filming "Fast & Furious 7? at the time of Walker's death.

Walker, a Glendale native who attended Village Christian School in Sun Valley, also starred in the suspense drama, "Hours," which is set for release this month.